Written by: Vincent Gallo (story), Vincent Gallo & Alison Bagnall (screenplay) Directed by: Vincent Gallo
Directed by:Vincent Gallo
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Ben Gazzara, Mickey Rourke, Anjelica Huston
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Billy gets out of prison, kidnaps a girl, visits his parents while forcing said girl to pose as his wife, and then plans to kill a strip club owner.
Verdict
This is definitely an indie movie, in both style and content. Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo) is insecure and pathetic. For most of the movie you actively root against him. You never know what's going to happen. While the ending is traditional, it's wholly unexpected. It's a good character you love to hate in a strange film.
It depends.
Review
The opening is unique. A convict fresh out of jail is just trying to find a place to use the bathroom. This escalates to Billy kidnapping a girl to further the lie he told his family, that he's in the CIA. For whatever reason, the girl (Christina Ricci) goes along with it.
He forces her into her own car, but he can't drive a standard car, despite the fact that he engaged the clutch to start the car. I couldn't figure out if there was something wrong with Ricci's character or if she was just scared. She agrees to pose as his wife and never attempts to escape.
Billy's parents aren't interested in him. It's more than disappointment, they don't seem to realize he's even there. They don't remember him growing up and were cruel during his childhood. Are they repressing the memories, not remembering, or do they just not care? I almost wonder if it's just Billy's perception, but that doesn't quite fit.
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| Buffalo '66 - It's... different. |
Billy told his kidnap victim to make him look good, and while she does her best it ends up with the parents liking her and still ignoring Billy. Billy is mad at her even though it isn't her fault. Billy's a jerk, blaming everyone else for his problems. He's insecure. We later realize the fake name he gave the girl is the name of a high school crush. He's tried to fabricate a life that doesn't exist. When this fake life crumbles, he lashes out.
It was a nice touch with his family watching a rerun of a football game that flashed backward in time. It's the same game Billy made a big bet on, a bet he couldn't pay when he lost. He admitted to a crime he didn't commit since he couldn't pay the bookie which is how he ended up in jail.
The climax was well done with a good use of freeze frame, pulling back to reveal what really happened. It's a unique story, with a few editing techniques I had never seen.
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